(UPDATE 9:27 AM)- The Ottawa Senators made it official this morning, signing Chris Neil to a three year extension. Courtesy of the Sens official Twitter feed, here is a picture of the Sens tough guy putting pen to paper on the new contract.
The Ottawa Senators have locked up one of the team's hardest working players and a fan favourite on and off the ice.
According to Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun, the Senators have agreed to an extension that will keep Chris Neil in Ottawa for another three seasons. The 33 year old forward is entering the final year of a contract that will pay him $2 million next season.
While no announcement was immediately made by the organization and the contract is still just a "verbal agreement", word is the contract will pay Neil a total of $5.75 million over the three years of the deal. He'll earn $2 mil in the first two years of the deal and then $1.75 in the final season.
The cap hit will come in at under two million a season.
This is a fantastic deal for the Senators as they lock up one of the team's most respected leaders both on and off the ice. There's also a good chance the deal will allow Neil to retire as an Ottawa Senator.
I mentioned this on Twitter but you'd be hard pressed to find a player that cares more about his hockey team and about winning than Chris Neil. A guy that always sticks up for his teammates and has a tendency to elevate his game come playoff time, Neil will be a fantastic role model for the young guys in the locker room.
I've always respected Chris Neil as a hockey player but that was taken to another level late in this season when I was lucky enough to receive a media pass from the team. I foolishly stepped on the logo in the middle of the dressing room and Neil gave me a glare that I assumed was saved for his most hated opponents.
This guy would do anything for his teammates and for this organization and as fans, we're lucky to have him around for the next four seasons.
According to Ian Mendes, the Sens are expected to make this contract official later this week. Can't help but wonder if they plan to announce a couple contract extensions at the same time.
What do ya say, Alfie?
